When life gets tough.......

Wow! Another fantastic FCA meeting!

The singing was great. The game was a blast to watch. And the speaker was a gift.

Jim Michen, from McEachern Memorial United Methodist Church in Powder Springs, was so inspiring. In case you missed it, I will give you a little background on Jim.....you kind of have to know who he is to fully grasp the message he gave. Personally, I have never met him. I heard him speak for the first time on Friday, but he affected me and I hope his words touched some of you.

Mr. Michen played football earlier in his life and the coach told him that if got the ball, RUN. And if he was scared, RUN HARDER. He told us that when the time came, he was scared and he ran the other way! This happens in life. We are in a situation that we know we need to just push through, but what do we do? Not only do we run, we run the other way!

He also shared that we need to be focused on God's goals for us. Not our own. He set his goals, professionally and financially, and he saw them realized. He was proud of his accomplishments and that he achieved them on his own. 87 days later he was mugged and seriously injured. As a result of those injuries, all of his goals became undone. And after months, he realized that it was God who would have to get him through what he was facing. He could not do it alone. When life gets tough, God's strength is there for you.

He also talked of friends who were there for him. What does it take to be a truly great friend? We all know the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Kids often treat others like there is something wrong with them! Treat them like you want to be treated. And think of the gift of God's love and strength in your life. If you had a friend who had that gift and they never shared it with you, would you feel like they truly cared? So often we get caught up in the shallow aspects of life. Fashion, sports, activities - don't get me wrong! These are all great things, but the most important thing we can do for a friend is to share Christ with them.

And with that in mind, bring them to FCA!!!!! If you find it difficult to share Christ one on one with a friend, bring them to FCA and they will hear the message because of you!

Friday, November 19th is Pick up a Friend for FCA day! Bring someone with you that wouldn't otherwise be able to attend!

Have a great week.

Cans of Hope Results!

Hey Hey it's FCA!

On Friday, November 4, 2010, AS PROMISED, the results of Cans of Hope were announced! This year, Lovinggood Middle School accepted the 'Cans of Hope' challenge in a BIG way with over 2500 cans being donated.

As suspected, the 7th graders who led the competition throughout the month were the champion grade level. The entire grade was awarded FREE SEATING at lunch on Monday, November 7th.

Ms. Mowry was the top homeroom collector and was rewarded with a free 1/2 day! A big thank you to Mrs. Wilhoit for sitting in for Ms. Mowry while she enjoys her 1/2 day off.

The great participation made the outreach project lots of fun! Congratulations on a job well done!

The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Cheerleaders were all recognized and performed cheers for the crowd.

The lesson once again focused on relationships and having the courage to stand up for Christ and to share Him with your friends. November's focus is on relationships with others and how a close relationship with Christ will overflow into your friendships. Having that close relationship will make you want to share Him! so, Pick up a Friend for FCA this month! Let's pack the house.

I Can Only Imagine

If you missed FCA on Friday, you really missed out. What a GREAT MORNING!!!

Friday was Football Player Recognition Day. The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade teams were all recognized. Congratulations on your seasons, especially the still undefeated 8th graders!

Friday, November 5th is Cheerleader Recognition Day!
Friday, November 19th is Tennis Team Recognition Day!

The Cans for Hope Food Drive continues with the final tallies and winners being announced next Friday, November 5th. As of Friday, there were more than 1500 cans donated and the 7th Graders were still in the lead! Let's see if the 6th graders catch up or if the 8th graders kicked it into high gear and made a late impact!

Quick Reminder: Pit Crew is every Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m. and everyone is welcome to attend.

Ok, let's get to the REALLY good stuff! Did you all LOVE the opening interpretive dance/skit/performance? What a powerful message relayed through such an awesome song. The song, I Can Only Imagine, carefully and deliberately encourages, almost forces you to truly imagine being in God's presence, before Him, in all of His glory. With the help of some very talented performers, we were each able to imagine it even more fully.

After we were all awed into silence by the music, Andy Fillingin from Roswell Street Baptist spoke about relationships. He spoke about how God invites you into a personal relationship with Him that will eclipse all other relationships. He asked if you have ever had someone in your life and you just want to be with them....all the time. Never tired of spending time with them. A relationship with Christ is like that but so much more. One day in His presence is greater than thousands elsewhere. When you are walking in a relationship with Christ, you won't want to leave that place, not even for a moment and you will stay through danger, ridicule, pressure, etc. Your heart will burn to be with Him.

Come back next week and bring a friend! November will focus on Relationships and Friendships.